The number of blood donors in Scotland has dropped by 30,000 in the last 10 years.

According to the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, there were 208,000 donors in Scotland in 1998 and that figure has now fallen to 179,000.

Dr Moria Carter, donor service manager, said: "It is vital and urgent that we bring public attention to the importance of giving blood. There has been a consistent dip in people giving blood over the last decade."

She added that although current blood banks are meeting demand, it was imperative that more people donated in order to save lives.

Dr Carter was speaking at an event in Glasgow along with some of the service's donors.

Premature twins Murray and Jack Marshall, both two years old now, received blood transfusions which saved their lives.

The boys' mother, Lynn Marshall, said that she was backing the campaign because "blood donors saved my boys' lives".

She said: "The care we received at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary was first class. My thoughts go out to anyone who is going through the same thing at the moment."